Stolen moments
by Emerald-eclipse
Summary: Set during the movie. "He is glad he gets the chances to know her." Drabbles.
1. of chances

Disclaimer: I don't own "Edge of Tomorrow" or "All you need is kill."

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The first time he stitches up her wound it is a mess, there is a lot of blood, and she fights to swallow back hisses of pain.

He learns after the tenth—maybe eleventh time.

The thirty third, and all the times that follow, is quick, clean and quiet, and she neither flinches away nor her face changes from her usual expression. He is silently glad. They're both tired so the time in the shed, however short, acts like a much needed break before the chaos that follows, and he likes to pretend that it is akin to a small getaway from all the hustle and bustle…of war and death.

She doesn't shut up about the helicopter keys, so by the forty second time he hides them and finds the coffee and learns that she takes hers with three sugars and he _tries_ to make this moment last just a little bit longer.

The forty fourth time is when she realizes they have been here more than once; that this wasn't _his_ first time anymore, the sugar—_of all things—_giving him away. She is furious, but he is just so tired of seeing her die over and over and over again.

He tells her that he wishes he didn't know her. The look of remorse that flashes through her face before it is replaced by cold determination shows him that she, at least, understands. But it is never enough to stop her from starting the helicopter. He watches her die again.

During the next few resets, he lets her drink her coffee black.

The fifty ninth time is different. Special. She realizes that they are on another reset, because he _forgets_ and slips and gives her the sugar again. But this time they must have done something differently. Maybe it was something that he said. She still starts the helicopter and they still get attacked. But she lets him hold her hand and she tells him her middle name before the life goes out of her eyes and the wave of mimics swallow them up.

After that reset he thinks he can't do it anymore. He approaches her like so many times before just to walk away; her challenging expression (_Do I have something on my face, soldier?)_ overlapping with all the times her lifeless eyes stared back at him. Again, again, and again. It never seemed to get easier looking at her. In fact it got harder with each time—the two hundred and thirtieth so much more difficult than, say, eleventh.

So he walks away.

For a while, he stops trying to get to the training room altogether. He sometimes wonders if she lied about her name.

He fights alone. Tries to fight all of them on his own. And he makes it, _finally_ makes it to the dam. He can't help but hope and wish, just to have that shatter like an illusion. It is the first time he dies of drowning.

He shoots up awake. He is afraid. He runs to her and they are again partners. For a while they don't train and they don't fight, but he wastes so many resets just to get to the General, just to get him to talk. He is tired and fed up.

On the way to Whitehall for the fifteenth time, he asks her if her middle name is Rose.

She glares at him in irritation, but he simply looks her in the eyes. He feels his sanity slipping away and tries to find something to grasp at, otherwise he thinks he will break. Maybe some of the despair bleeds onto his face, because her eyes soften.

She looks back to the road and he recognizes that look and knows that she is no longer here with him—lost in her own memories. He turns slightly away to give her privacy, but he can still see at the corner of his eyes when she nods, and for the first time in a long while he feels content.

He lets his eyes slid shut, burning this moment into his memory.

He is glad he gets the chances to know her.

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AN: Thanks for reading! This is a stand alone one-shot. I might update with more drabbles, which might or might not be tied to this one.


	2. of hope

Disclaimer: I don't own "Edge of Tomorrow" or "All you need is kill"

* * *

It is a slaughter house.

Rita runs into battle ignoring the shouts, screams, and sound of gunfire. She takes up her sword and doesn't flinch at the explosion five feet away from her position. She will fight and she will take down each and every one of the Mimics that crosses path with hers today.

She takes a precious second to wonder how the enemy knew that they were coming. She nearly pays for that with her left arm.

She slashes and twists and punches and kicks and fires her gun and in the heat of the battle she cannot help but feel regret; regret at the loss of the time resetting power.

Out of nowhere, a soldier comes slamming into her armored body—both of them tearing through the hull of a nearby dropship. She catches a glimpse of frantic blue eyes and she entertains a notion of emptying a whole case into the person's head. But then he starts talking and all words catch in her throat. She watches as the soldier shoots a barrage of bullets into the ceiling, a Mimic falling dead soon after, and then as if in afterthought, he picks up his other gun and shoots a volley of bullets to the side, killing another Mimic, and Rita can't help but _hope_.

He keeps shouting things at her, but she isn't listening anymore. She follows him and sees again how he shoots before the enemy shows up. As if he can predict their movements. As if he knows what is going to happen.

"This ship is about to explode!" he shouts at her, his face twisting into a look of dread and fear and anger when he sees that she has stopped walking.

But Rita can't help but hope. She drops her sword. Because if it was true, then there was no point in prolonging this moment. She takes a gamble. And she says:

"Find me when you wake up."

His face is that of confusion. She has the time to realize that this must be the first time he has this conversation.

She can't help but hope. Death doesn't scare her anymore. Not today.

She sees his face twists in disbelief and horror. She can feel the increasing heat at her back.

She can't help but hope.

"Come find me when you wake up—"

The world turns red.

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AN: Gosh, I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this movie. Watched it twice already and I could easily watch it again.

Thanks for reviewing, **micaslopez123** and **Kevin**!We do need more fanfiction out there for EoT.


	3. of ending

Disclaimer: I don't own "Edge of Tomorrow" or "All you need is kill"

"text" - movie dialogue

"_italics" - thoughts_

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"Neither of us is getting out of here, Cage."

She says it with such certainty and finality that all words and counterarguments and excuses he has prepared, escape him. And he can't help and think that it is unfair. So unfair. And he cringes at the childishness of his thoughts.

He notices her hands shake when she hands him the grenades. Her gaze, however, is unwavering. He thinks she gets the shorter end of the stick.

He closes his eyes. He doesn't want to see her go.

Rita Vrataski and William Cage, the last chess pieces on the board. Two surprise players in the game of war against the mimics. Those bastards didn't see _that_ coming for sure. He mentally chuckles. His face twist into an expression of regret. _God,_ he was afraid. He fights to contain hysteria.

He listens as she speaks to him.

"Thank you. Thank you for getting us this far."_  
_

He opens his eyes. Her voice is raw with emotions. Her smile is bright, honest, filled with warmth and gratitude.

_Don't thank me_! he wants to scream. _Don't thank me for bringing you to your Death._ He thinks this is the difference between Private William Cage and Sergeant Rita Vrataski. He fought to survive. She fought to win. And this time winning didn't equate survival.

He was afraid.

"You're a good man, Cage._"_

_No, I'm not. _He answers her in his head. He was a coward right to the end.

"I wish I had a chance to know you better."

All thoughts escape him when her lips touch his. He grabs her arm and doesn't want to let go.

He is afraid. But seeing her take off towards the Alpha without any hesitation gives him strength to push away and run towards the end.

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**AN:** Thanks for reading and reviewing. Special thanks to** FanFiction Noob,** **micaslopez123** and **Kevin**!

I'm working on your prompts, Kevin. Just had to get this one out. Stay tuned for other drabbles that will hopefully be longer.


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